Liver problems in older dogs - Life expectancy, treatment, and diet

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What to feed a dog with liver problems? Which is his life expectancy? Liver problems in older dogs are more common than we can believe. In this phase of his life, everything he has eaten, how he has lived, his resistance, and his health are put to the test. If he has been happy and he is a healthy dog, he will have a body with greater resistance against the attack of viruses that can hurt his viscera, intoxications, and other ailments that affect his liver.

Regarding liver problems in older dogs, prevention is the best policy. The problem with liver disease is that it does not cause pain. It can manifest itself after a while with jaundice, vomiting, and discomfort. He will lose his appetite and will be very tired, but you can get confused with a symptom of old age or mild depression.

Causes of liver inflammation in dogs

What we know as hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, normally caused by a virus. The way of infection is always similar: eat something that contains the virus. They are usually present in the stools or pee of other dogs that had or have hepatitis. Now you may be wondering: how do owners with dogs with hepatitis let them poop on the street if they can infect others?

The problem is that this virus may be growing and hiding in your dog's liver for a while, to manifest itself very aggressively later. Many consultations that come to us from tired dogs, that are weakened, or that do not want to eat, end up being a case of hepatitis. It can also show fever, so many PetLovers commit the imprudence of giving them antibiotics for humans or trying to cure them with home remedies.

The first option will just finish them off, because the liver serves as a filter of toxins and manages this type of products. If it does not work, the situation will get worse and will also affect the kidneys. If you resort to home remedies, you may be able to lower his fever or alleviate the symptoms, but the virus will continue to wreak havoc. That is to say: when facing the first symptom, it is best to go to the veterinarian instead of trying anything on your own.

Does hepatitis in dogs have a cure?

Yes, it has a cure and a good life expectancy, but it needs quick action, a lot of care, fight against symptoms, a lot of rest, and a good fat-free diet at home. Many older dogs end up having liver disease or hepatitis, because their immune system is weaker at this age. The veterinarian will give him energy, keep him stable, and send him home with vitamin booster and proper diet.

A dog with liver disease cannot eat fast, and why not? Because the thing in charge of cleaning the body's fats is the liver, that is to say, it is necessary to facilitate a life in which this organ does not have to work. To do this, it is best to choose low-fat feeds and your greater ally: a natural low-fat diet.

Homemade liver diets for dogs

Always, always, always, start a liver-feeding diet with the advice of a veterinarian. You have our online veterinarians and dietitians, but the specialist who treats your friend will know how to advise you very well. Something highly recommended, as you can see in many other websites, are foods such as fish or boiled chicken a little bit more cooked than for a human and without bones or fat.

Little by little, with a lot of rest, good diet, and the recommendations of your doctor, your old dog will recover. This is the treatment, because you cannot attack a virus with medication, just diagnose, control the symptoms, and help your dog to have the necessary strength to move forward.

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How to regenerate a dog's liver

The good news is that the liver is an organ that regenerates. Although it has been much damaged, when you start taking care of it, it will gradually regenerate and return to its general state. Of course, there are cases in which recovery will cost more: such s when the poisoning has occurred with a very aggressive poison. In addition to catching a liver infection from a virus resident in a dog's poop with hepatitis, some heartless human beings leave poison on the street for dogs to ingest it; their liver fails and they die.

Shortly: the best way to fight against a liver infection is prevention. Do not let him lick things on the floor or eat the feces of other dogs. Add to that a good diet and a good shape and you can both prevent liver disease and get better results with treatment.